The European Challenge Tour season ends this week with the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final and the 16 graduates to the European Tour will be finalised, but with the ecstasy for the chosen few will come agony for others, as Ryan Fox experienced 12 months ago.
The New Zealander went into the week in 12thplace in the Road to Oman Rankings but after a dramatic few days at Al Mouj Golf he experienced the heartbreak of finishing in 16th– one spot too low for Race to Dubai golf this season.
The 29 year old has rectified that with a stellar 2016 season on the Road to Oman and tees it up in Muscat in third place in the Rankings, certain of European Tour status for 2017, and is sympathetic for whoever ends up in his shoes this time around.
“I’ve got good memories and bad memories of last year to be honest,” he said. “I had three good rounds and one terrible round and ended up in that dreaded 16thspot.
“I was in the top 15 pretty comfortably and was in control of my own destiny but I just didn’t play well enough right at the end when it mattered. Someone has to be that last man not in, and someone else will be that this week, but last year it was me and let me tell you, it was rough.
“It did take me a little while to deal with it, even at the start of this year as well. But in the end I had to reflect on the fact that I started 2015 with no status on the Challenge Tour, let alone the European Tour, and I’d have bitten your hand off for full Challenge Tour status, so I just had to take as many positives out of it as possible.
“When I came over last year I hadn’t played in Europe before. I got an exemption into Final Stage of Q-School from how I’d done on the Australian Tour so I got the opportunity to get a few starts here on the Challenge Tour before Q-School and took to it pretty well.
“After that the aim was to get European Tour status through the Road to Oman, and I probably should have done but didn’t quite do enough.”
Fox is one of four players who can top the Road to Oman this week, though he will require a victory if he is to overtake current Rankings leader Jordan Smith and second-placed Alexander Knappe.
The leading trio enjoyed a boat trip on the eve of the tournament, putting Fox – a keen fisherman away from the golf course – in an even better state of mind ahead of his final four rounds of the season.
“I’m definitely a lot more relaxed this week than I was last year – a nice little boat trip helps that,” he said. “I’d love to play well, and even top the Rankings – it is mathematically possible, but Jordan and Alex have been playing some fantastic golf and it would almost feel wrong for them not to finish one and two, but it’s nice to be here and have a little less stressful week than I did last year.
“You need length around here so that plays into my hands a bit, and it can get breezy and I like to think I’m good in those conditions from growing up in New Zealand, but it’s a great course.
“I’m very happy with my season. I was disappointed by how I started the year, where I got into some European Tour events but struggled, so I came back to the Challenge Tour and I found some form again.
“I got to play in the Olympics, I won in Northern Ireland and now I have my European Tour card sorted for next year, the World Cup to come, so I’ve far exceeded my goals for the year, even though it was a tough start.”
